Police officers storm Ekpu, beat up residents

Armed Police officers numbering about hundred on Tuesday morning stormed Ekpu and Half-Assini towns in the Jomoro district of the Western region to allegedly beat locals.

According to some victims who spoke to Empire News’ Emmanuel Ohene-Gyan, the police officers stormed the two communities in the early hours of Tuesday morning beating anybody they came across including, the physically challenged.

It is unclear what might have triggered the assault on the two communities but the raid, according to some eyewitnesses, could be linked to an earlier attack on a police station in the area by the youth following the death of a suspect who was in custody for theft. The angry youth vandalized the police station and attacked the officer who was on duty at the time.

A resident told Ohene Gyan: “We were hinted that the Police were going to storm Half Hasini for an operation and the youth sensing danger massed up but nothing happened only to wake up this morning to be brutalized by the Police numbering over 100 holding water cannons, tear gas, guns beating up every young person they met.

“Irrespective of who you are including a disabled in a wheel chair and when you try to question their actions all they said was they have been given specific instruction to arrest anybody…and when I tried to prevent them from beating the guy they hit me with their baton like three times…the place is currently tensed and we hope when they are leaving they leave with all their security people because we cannot guarantee their safety as well because we are humans and is not fair to be treated that way”.

Meanwhile, the Western Regional Police PRO, ASP Olivia Ewurabena Adiku has denied any brutalities on the residents.

“This Morning, the Police numbering about 300 went to Half Hasini to conduct a swoop in connection with what happened at Half Hasini a month ago after a suspect died in Police custody and the angry youth stormed the Police station to vandalize Police properties…we cannot allow the crime aspect of the incident pass so the Police have arrested about 50 people who will be screened and those found culpable will be prosecuted. I must add that I spoke to the regional commander and nobody was brutalized the Police only went there to effect arrests and nobody was assaulted,”Dsp Adiku stated.